Detection of human cytomegalovirus in atherosclerotic carotid arteries in humans.
OBJECTIVE
Atherosclerosis plays an important role in stroke. A microbiological infection has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, in particular the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). The objective of this study was to determine the association between HCMV infection and atherosclerosis of the internal carotid arteries in patients of Chinese Han ethnicity with ischemic stroke.


METHODS
HCMV DNA and antigen were detected in atherosclerotic internal carotid arteries from 35 patients with ischemic stroke and 20 controls from a Chinese Han ethnic population. Immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the HCMV immediate early (IE) and late (L) antigen as well as DNA in the vascular walls.


RESULTS
We observed that the proportion of cases that tested positive for HCMV IE but not L antigen and DNA was statistically greater in stroke patients compared with the control population.


CONCLUSIONS
HCMV IE antigen and DNA were associated with the pathological process of atherosclerosis. The vessel wall might be the infection site of the dormant virus.
Yi
Li
L
Department of Neurology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Wang
De-Xin
DX
Feng
Zi-Jing
ZJ
D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000821:virology*